Self-regulating water heater



5 9 2, 2 `0 5, l R O M R E K E D G. L 4 2 9 1 2 2 w J SELF REGULATING WATER HEATER Filed Dec'. 2, i1921 3 Sheets-'Sheet l A 1,502.29'5 July 22 1924. L. G. DE KERMOR SELF REGULATING WATER HEATER Filed Dec. 2, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

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NVENTOR -July 22 1924.

L. G. DE KERMOR SELF REGULATING WATER HEATER Filed Dec. 2L 1921 3 Sheets--Sheet 3 Aifofnexs PatentedJuly 22, 1924.

4UNITED STATES vPATENT oFFlcE.

MUIS G. DI mMGB, OF EDMONTON, ALB

ERTA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR T0 DE vKERMOR ELECTRIC HEATDTG COMANY LIMITED, OF EDMONTON, PROVINCE 0F ALBERTA,

CANADA.

.SmF-REGULATING WATER HEATER.

Application-med December 2, 1921. Serial No. 519,427. To all 'wlwm it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Louis G. DE KnRMoR, a] subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Edmonton, in the-Province of Alberta and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Self-Regulating Water Heaters, of which the followlnifis a specification.

y invention relates to self-regulating water heaters based on the principle of a method described and claimed in my copending application iled Dec. 2, 1921, Serial No. 519,425. By this method the heat is re lated by immersin an electrode in a co umn of water capa le of being displaced by the vapor generated by the current passing therethrough so as to vary the active area of the electrode in proportion to the heat radiated.

One .ob'ect of my invention being to produce'a se f-regulating water heater, for do- 'mestlc or general purposes, of vcompact form, economical in use and .very positive in action.

A further object being to provide my heater with an adjustable by-pass so as to limit the temperature of avallable water.

AY further object is to produce a water heater capable of being connected to present heatin systems in buildings, etc.

In t e drawings accompanying this specication,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a selfcontamed water heater adapted to domestic services. v

Fi 2 is a modified form of my heater applicable to the heating of buildings, etc.

. Fig. 3 is a modified form having a separate coil enclosedl in the 'water heating tank for supplying the domestic hot water serv- 1ce.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 is the electrode which may be formed of one elementor comprised of .blocks of electrodes. (In larger a paratus the three-wire system may be usedl electrodes. is casing is closed at the to the bottom being surrounded by a reservolr 3 preferably removably connected thereto as at 4 and 5. yThe sides of this reservoir may extend past the bottom thereof as shown at 6 to form a standard supporting the ap varatus. The electrode 1 is prefera ly mounted on an insulating base 7 composed of luperposed sections having co- 2 is the casing enclosing the heater, Valve 22 of vent pi e inciding central perforations. A plate 12 Vis held by the lower sections 8 and 9 between gaskets 13 and 14. Sections 9, 10 and 11 also rest on gaskets 15 and 16 as shown. Plate 12 is connected .to the bottom of casing 2 over gasket 17 by bolts 5. Electrode 1 is connected to a source of current, not shown, by wire 19 extending therefrom and connected-to a rod 18 passing through the base 7 said rod serving also to unite the sections of the base. A second leading wire is grounded to the apparatus at 25. Communication between the casing 2 and reservoir 3is obtained byl perforations 20 around the base of casing 2. A pipe 21 extending up to the top of casing 2 serves as a vent to remove the air from the casing. This pipe is provided With a valve 22 mounted on its outer end.- A pipe 23 providedv with a funnel 24 serves to fill tank 3 and casing 2. Pipe 23 is provided with an overilow 28. This overflow may have a drain outlet 29 provided with a valve 30 to drain water from tank 3. 26 is a water tank mounted over reservoir 3 and made removable at 27 by any practical means not shown. A hot water outlet pipe 31 is mounted over tank 26 and a return pipe 32 leads into the tank at 33. In order to determine the degree of heat of the service water, a by-pass 34 is mounted between pipes 31 and 32. By-pass 34 is provided with a valve to enable the regulating of the amount of water passing therethrough. In

order to conine the circulation of the water inside the tank 26 so as to direct the same against the wall of the heat radiating casing 2, an insulated deflector 36 is placed overV easing 2. This deflector is provided with openings 37 at its bottom and an outlet 38 at the top into which a pipe 39 is mounted so yas to direct the hot water close to the -upper end -of the water tank 26.

The heater above described, is entirely self-regulating and once started will require no attention whatever.

The operation is as follows: To start the 21 is opened. Water is poured in funne 24 and enters reservoir 3 through pipe 23, the pouring of Water being continued until casin 2 is completely filled and water runs out rom valve 22. Valve 22 is then closed and the electric current turned on. The heat generated bv the resistance of the water will produce vapor which ,will accumulate at the top of casing 2 and displace the column of water, tnereby gradually decreasing the active area of the electrode. When the column of water reaches a point where its weight equals the pressure of the vapor it will remain at a standstill until the radiation fromthe casing 2 reduces the temperature of the vapor and lowers its pressure. The column of water will then be drawn upwards, owing to the partial vacuum `formed at the top of casing 2. This will increase the active area of-the electrode thereby raising the temperature and pressure of the vapor causing the water column to again move downward.

In the modification illustrated by Fig. 2, I have shown a construction adaptable for circulating water for the heating' of buildings or for 4heating large quantities of water. In this apparatus I make use of a block of electrodes 40 connected to a source of alternatingcurrent by the three-wire system. In this construction the expansion reservoir 3 is separate from the regulating casing 2, casing 2 being provided with anextension flange 4 1 having a rim 42 overlapping the side of tank 3.' Extension ange 41 is provided with filling aperture 43. A tube 44 forms a continuation of aperture 43 so 'as to lead the filling water close to the bottom j of tank`3. In order to displace the air at the top of casing 2 I make use of a Siphoning device or an air pump, not shown, which may be connected to valve 51 or toA pipe 49.

The block of electrodes 40 is mounted on the bottom of tank 3 and is supported into casing 2 by means of a frame 47 which consists in upright cross bars united by rods 48 as shown. The electrodes, which are shown of rectangular form, are insulated fromeach other and from the frame by lmeans of porcelain insulators clamped between the' frame. The electrodes are electrically connected by three leads passing through the bottom of casing 2 and insulated therefrom by insulators 45 and 46. In order to draw the air out of casing 2 a vent pipe 49 is 'mounted inside the casing and comes out on the side of tank 3 at 50.v A valve 51 is 'placed on the outer end of said pipe'outside of casing 2. Over the extension flange 41- a jacket 52 is mounted. It isppreferably connected to flangel 41 by means of bolts 53. This jacket serves as ahot Water tank where the water is heated by the radiation of heat from casing 2. Jacket 52 is provided with an outlet 54 and an inlet 55. The jacket and the reservoir are both lined with insulating material as shown."

In the modification represented by Fig. 3 I have shown an apparatus provided with a block of electrodes excited by a three-wire system as in Fig. 2 and provided with a jacket serving as a water heating chamber similar to that described in Fig. 2 but the flange 42 a-nd the side of the reservoir. In

this modification, I have shown a coil 57 mounted between casing 2 and jacket 52. The purpose of this coil is to heat water for domestic use independently of the water for heating purposes.- In order to displace the air in the top of casing 2 and to obtain the weight of a column of water corresponding to a required pressure of vapor I make use of an expansion tank 59 connected to the reservoir 3 by pipe 58. Reservoir 3 and casing 2 is filled from this tank and the air displaced comes out by vent, pipe 49.

The construction above described in connection with Fig. 1 as well as the modification represented by Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate practical applications of my regulating method described in' my c opending application above mentioned. It must be understood, however, that many Ivariations comprising changes in form or disposition of parts may be made without departing from A the essence of the following claims.

Claims: 1. In a self-regulating water heater, a casing closed at thev bottom, 'a water heating casing of smaller capacity mounted therein,

'a supplementary tank forming p-art of the main 'easing positioned above the closed bottom thereof, communication ports between saidl supplementary tank and the water heating casing, an electrode support mounted through the bottom of the supplementary tank andinsulated therefrom, means to fill the tank lwith water, and means inside'of the water heating casing tocompletely remove the air therefrom.

2. In a self-regulating water heater, a casing closed at the bottom, a water heating casing of smaller capacity mounted therein, a supplementary tank forming part of the main casing positioned above the closed bottom thereof, communication ports between said supplementary tank and the water heating casing, an electrode support mounted through the bottom of the supplementary tank and insulated therefrom, means to fill the tank with water, means inside of the Water heating casing to completely remove the air therefrom, an insulated casing over said Water heating casing, an. outlet at the top 'of said insulated casing, and a pipe in said outlet leading to a point adjacent the top of the main casing.

L. G. DE KERMOR.

In the presence of-.-

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